This study positions dignity as a critical, bottom-up approach for advancing transport justice. Through ethnographic fieldwork, interviews with several actors and key policy stakeholders in Nairobi’s paratransit sector, the study maps a stratified “dignity ecosystem.” It reveals how divergent actor perceptions and gendered experiences, ranging from “moral injury” of crews to the stigmatisation of women, are entrenched by systemic neglect. By reviewing regulatory narrative cited by key stakeholders, the research identifies institutional “bad faith,” where governance voids are filled by informal “frenemies.” The study connects these micro-level lived realities to macro-level planning failures, demonstrating that dignity serves as an essential planning metric. Ultimately, it argues for shifting beyond top-down reforms to prioritise the operationalisation of dignity through recognition and respect as foundations for inclusive mobility.

Contact information: Tel: 058-7584685 | mail: wambuik@campus.technion.ac.il